Happy Summer!
I hope you’re navigating these hot summer days and finding some time for rest and play. We have a full newsletter this month, so I’ll keep my updates brief. First, the Climate Collaborative is thrilled to announce several new initiatives to support your climate work:
Regenerative Transition Community of Practice
Pre-registration is now live for our upcoming cohort. This facilitated learning community provides you with three essentials to support your regenerative transition work:
- A network of industry peers to collaborate with
- Training from top thought leaders and service providers
- Hands-on access to tools and frameworks to inform your work now and in the future
The program is designed to provide significant cost savings to your company. Learn more here.
Expanded Consulting Services
Are you ready to take the next steps in engaging your supplier community in climate action? The Climate Collaborative can help support you in your Scope 3 stakeholder engagement work. Schedule a call with our team to learn more about how we and our service provider community can best support you.
Service Provider Membership
If you are a service provider looking to connect your services with the grocery industry, we can help. Let us connect you with companies actively looking to advance their climate work. Learn more here.
I also wanted to share two important items of note. For companies who have made a Commitment through the Climate Collaborative, your Tracking Progress Survey should be in your inbox. See more details in the newsletter below. Additionally, last week we sent out a form for Climate Day submissions, share your ideas by August 30th!
Enjoy these summer days!
In collaboration,
Courtney Pineau
Executive Director
Climate Collaborative
CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE EVENTS |
Upcoming Webinar: Engaging in Policy & Advocacy to Energize Staff & Mobilize Customers for Climate Action
August 6th, 2024; 1 pm ET // 12 PM CT // 11 AM MT // 10 AM PT
Don't miss the fourth session in our Retailer Climate Action education series as we focus on policy and advocacy. Many companies feel less equipped to engage in this area, yet it holds significant potential for impact.
In this session, InCommon Group will emphasize the importance of advocacy for retailers and share insights from their experience in building cross-sector coalitions. Dr. Bronner's will showcase their successful strategies for engaging in policy and advocacy, both internally with staff and externally with stakeholders.
This will be an interactive webinar, so please bring your questions! You will hear from:
- Darcy Shiber-Knowles, Director of Operational Sustainability and Innovation, Dr. Bronner's
- Erica Campbell, Co-founder & Partner, InCommon Group
Our deep thanks to Dr. Bronner's and Planet FWD for supporting this work!
Upcoming Webinar: Retail's Role in Reducing Food Waste: Practical Solutions and Success Stories
August 20th, 2024; 1 pm ET // 12 PM CT // 11 AM MT // 10 AM PT
Join us for the fifth session in our eight-part series designed to empower retailers in the grocery and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry with the knowledge and tools needed to tackle food waste. This engaging session will cover the following key objectives:
- Highlight the biggest opportunities for food waste reduction at retail
- Present a retailer case study on food waste reduction
- Share an opportunity to get involved with other retailers around the country
This will be an interactive webinar, so please bring your questions! You will hear from:
- Jackie Suggitt, Director of Capital, Innovation and Engagement, ReFED
- Terry Brett, Owner and CEO, Kimberton Whole Foods
Our deep thanks to Dr. Bronner's and Planet FWD for supporting this work!
Session Recording: Navigating Scope 3 Emissions
Don't miss this recording as we dove into how companies can meaningfully address their Scope 3 emissions and engage suppliers in their work. In this session, we discussed:
- How you can baseline Scope 3 emissions; pros and cons of different data approaches
- What companies need to have in place to initiate a Scope 3 reduction strategy
- How companies are addressing regulatory and reporting requirements
- Considerations for how Scope 3 impacts supplier relations
Session speakers included:
- Benjamin Bartley, Director of Responsible Procurement, UNFI
- Faith Perry, Associate Manager, Climate, General Mills
- Matthew Banks, Associate Director, Energy, Sustainability, & Infrastructure, Guidehouse, Supplier LOCT
View the recording and download the slides
Session Recording: Aligning Retailer Purchasing Standards with Climate Goals
In the third session of our eight-part Retailer Climate Action Education series, we will focus on essential data insights that retailers need to understand the current consumer purchasing habits. We will also provide tools and resources to inform retailer purchasing decisions and policies, and share case studies demonstrating how merchandising can be aligned with the store's values to support customer retention, maintain a strong bottom line, and achieve climate goals.
Session speakers included:
- Shelley Sapsin, VP, Market Integrity, Informa Markets
- Sherry Frey, Vice President of Total Wellness, NIQ
- Steven Jamieson, Health and Body Care Merchandiser, PCC Community Markets
View the recording and download the slides
Session Recording: Key Considerations for Climate Communications & Disclosure
Don't miss the final session in our five-part series where we focused on communications and disclosure. This session will help you navigate telling the story of your climate action in an authentic and compelling way, while also ensuring that it is legally defensible and aligned with the regulatory environment in the US and abroad.
Session speakers included:
- Brita Lundberg, Communications Manager, Lundberg Family Farms
- Ethan Soloviev, Chief Innovation Officer, HowGood
- Julien Gervreau, Director, Sustainability Implementation & Climate Action Planning, Sensiba
View the recording and download the slides
ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES |
Regenerative Transition Community of Practice
We are now pre-registering for the second cohort of our Regenerative Transition Community of Practice (CoP). This CoP will guide you through a step-by-step process to develop a compelling case and pathway for regenerative transition. You will gain completed frameworks and assessments for your chosen crop or product, including an acre footprint, LCA, risk analysis, certification alignment grid, and supplier map to accelerate your regenerative transition efforts.
Our deep gratitude to the UNFI Foundation for their support in making the Community of Practice a reality!
2024 Tracking Progress Update
Once a year, the Climate Collaborative asks companies to provide us with a report on the progress they have made with their Climate Commitments over the past year. This survey is a vital way to maintain accountability in our program, assess the climate progress of the food industry, and determine how we can best support your work. More importantly, it serves as a tool for you to evaluate your organization's climate action initiatives. We sent out the survey last week; please reach out if you have any questions!
Climate Day Submissions
The Climate Collaborative team is in the early planning stages for Climate Day 2025 on Tuesday, March 4th. Building on the success of last year, we're seeking your ideas for keynotes, panels, roundtables, and more!
Have a case study to share? Who do you look to as a leader in the climate space? Do you want us to cover a specific topic? What company is doing amazing work engaging their suppliers on climate? Let us know and we may feature your proposed topic or speaker(s) on stage in Anaheim!
Can You Take Our Two Minute Survey on Challenges Related to Sustainability Reporting?
In partnership with Sensiba LLP, the Climate Collaborative is interested in understanding the challenges CPGs face due to the different sustainability reporting requirements of retailers and distributors, and conversely the impacts that different reporting approaches have on retailers and distributors.
We would be deeply grateful if you would take 2 minutes to answer a four-question survey to help us understand the challenges and to inform how we might be able to support a solution.
PARTNER EVENTS & RESOURCES |
Biome Makers: The Ultimate Guide to Resilient & Regenerative Agriculture
Discover how CPGs and other food operators can leverage soil microbiome insights to improve crop yield, health, and resource conservation. As companies tackle their immediate emissions, the focus shifts to Scope 3 emissions, where understanding soil health becomes crucial.
Join OSC's Pack Pact!
OSC is thrilled to announce the launch of its annual sustainability campaign; The Pack Pact! The OSC Pack Pact is a collective action campaign aimed at promoting a circular economy and at reducing single-use packaging in the natural products industry. OSC is calling on industry peers to join by pledging to make actionable progress around circular packaging.
Committed brands will receive a digital guide with specific calls to action, resources, and suggestions for enacting their pledge(s). Those who commit to more than three pledges will unlock a personalized consultancy with OSC Packaging Collaborative experts.
Learn more and make your pledge here!
Join the Climate Collaborative at Newtopia Now!
Cultivating Change: Retail Practices for Supporting Sustainable Brands & Agriculture
August 26th; 2:30 - 3:30 PM MT
Learn more about the best practices for promoting sustainable agriculture and informing customers about these practices. This engaging session will focus on sustainable retail practices, advocating for partnerships with brands that support regenerative agriculture and sustainable packaging, and how these practices can resonate with customers.
Gain valuable insights into how to translate these practices into clear messaging that resonates with your customers and moves mission-aligned products off your store shelves. Discover the leading retail initiatives focused on fostering a more sustainable food system—and learn how to apply these practices to your store.
Partner Event: Renewable Energy Markets™ 2024
September 16 - 18th; Denver, CO
The annual Renewable Energy Markets™ (REM™) conference convenes a broad spectrum of industry professionals who are rapidly transforming the global clean energy marketplace. For over 25 years REM™ has remained the leading conference for promoting and accelerating the clean energy economy.
The annual REM™ brings corporate leaders, policymakers, and suppliers together to collaborate and guide the rapidly expanding market. Attendees explore emerging trends in policy, exchange best practices in renewable energy procurement and marketing, review the latest technology and market innovations, and help shape the future for renewable energy.
SERVICE PROVIDER UPDATES |
Learn More About Regenified
Regenified is a practice and outcome-based land verification and product certification program that champions regenerative agriculture. We help brands communicate genuine regenerative impact through third-party data and certification. Our verification process includes annual field visits, extensive data collection, lab soil testing, and nutrient density testing, enabling brands to demonstrate the impact of their regenerative sourcing.
We can certify your existing farm network or connect you with a network of Certified Regenified farms. Our supply chain verification ensures certified products make it from farm to shelf with full traceability. The Certified Regenified mark displayed on your packaging established credibility and helps build trust with consumers.
- Visit our website to learn more about our standards.
- Connect with our team to discuss certification.
Join Zero Foodprint to Help Meet Your Regen Ag Transition Goal
Zero Foodprint (ZFP) is a nonprofit organization restoring the climate, one acre at a time. We’re convinced that food economies can play a critical role in reversing the global climate crisis through collective regeneration. We work with food and beverage businesses, philanthropy, and the government to pool funding and provide grants directly to farmers implementing carbon-sequestration practices. The result? Better food, thriving farms, and a restored climate.
ZFP has already distributed more than $2.6 million to farmers, whose practices are set to draw down more than 104,000 tons of CO2e - but we’re just getting started.
Jump into the movement with Zero Foodprint’s Business Membership, and sign up for our newsletter to discover ways everyone can take bold action with ZFP.
IN THE NEWS |
Share Your Good News With Us!
In this new section of our newsletter, we want to share out climate-related progress, announcements, and good news from our community in action. Send us an email at [email protected] to contribute to next month's section.
COMMIT TO CLIMATE ACTION |
If you haven't already made a commitment to Climate Action please visit the Climate Collaborative website and check out the nine areas in which your company can make a commitment to bold climate action.
